Observers Think Crisis In Handling Corruption Cases Can Happen At KPK If ASN Inauguration Continues

JAKARTA - Trisakti University legal expert Abdul Fikar Hadjar said that a crisis in handling corruption cases at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) could occur. This condition can occur due to the polemic of the National Insight Test Assessment (TWK)

Currently, a number of KPK employees who have passed the TWK have asked for a postponement of the inauguration which was originally scheduled for June 1st. This request was made as a form of their solidarity with Novel Baswedan, et al, who did not pass the test which was a condition for the transfer of employment status.

"There will be a crisis in handling corruption cases because after all this will greatly affect the institutional activities of the KPK," Fikar told VOI, Monday, May 31.

According to him, this should be responded well by the KPK leadership. If not, then this problem will enlarge and a crisis in dealing with corruption will actually occur.

"This means that almost all employees will resign if they are still led by these commissioners," he said.

Agreeing with Fikar, TII Research Department Manager Wawan Suyatmiko saw this action as a form of solidarity and solidarity between the employees and their colleagues.

But, on the other hand, he views this request for postponement as a warning to the leadership of the KPK and related institutions and ministries to heed the instructions of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) some time ago. At that time, President Jokowi asked for the transfer of employment status at the KPK not to be detrimental.

"What hundreds of employees who passed the TWK did but asked for a delay is a form of warning for the leaders of the KPK, BKN, and MenPAN RB to pay attention to the President's instructions as superiors and coaches of ASN throughout Indonesia," he said.

As previously reported, the former spokesperson for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Febri Diansyah said that the support for 75 employees who did not pass the National Insight Test (TWK) continued to grow. A total of 693 anti-corruption commission employees have expressed their solidarity with Novel Baswedan et al.

"The number continues to increase to 693 KPK employees, expressing their solidarity for #75KPK Employees," he said as quoted from his Twitter @febridiansyah, Sunday, May 30.

Of this amount, it means that more than half of the KPK employees who passed the TWK have given their support. The employees who passed the test as a condition for the transfer of employment status reached 1,271 people.

Febri emphasized that this support was given because the employees refused to remove their colleagues with integrity. He also said that what is happening now is not a matter of passing or not passing the test which is considered problematic.

"They reject the removal of KPK employees with integrity and are not trapped by the narrative of fighting each other," he said.

Not only that, permanent and non-permanent KPK employees sent an open letter to President Joko Widodo. This letter relates to the recent polemic over the status of civil servants to State Civil Apparatus (ASN).

In the letter, the anti-corruption commission employees asked President Jokowi to order the postponement of the appointment of thousands of employees who passed the National Insight Test (TWK) as ASN.

"Ordered the postponement of our inauguration as ASN until the completion of various problems related to our transition process as ASN," reads the open letter quoted on Sunday, May 30.

In the letter, as KPK employees, both permanent and non-permanent, they have tried to ask the KPK leadership to follow the mandate of the law in the process of transferring employee status. Including, following Government Regulation Number 41 of 2020 and Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number 70/PUU-XVII/2019 which was read out on 4 May.

"However, our request has not been heeded by the KPK leadership until now. It is evident from the issuance of an order from the KPK leadership to carry out the Inauguration of KPK employees as ASN on June 1, which will come," they said